Rules

Rules control which streams the output transport stream carries, and on which PIDs. Each rule has a Match expression, which selects streams, and an Action, which defines the action that MediaConnect applies to the selected streams. For each elementary stream that the Program Map Table (PMT) lists, MediaConnect:

1. Checks the rules in order.

2. Applies the action of the first rule that matches, and skips the remaining rules.

3. Applies the Default action if no rule matches.

You write match expressions and actions as short text expressions. In the console, you can also choose common ones from a list. Match expressions and actions are case-sensitive, so write them exactly as shown in the following tables.

Match expressions

Match expression	Parameter	Selects
type	video, audio, or metadata	The streams of that type, for example type(audio).
pid	A PID	The stream on that PID, for example pid(100).
index	A stream type and a position, counting from 0	The stream at that position among the streams of that type, in order of PID number. For example, index(audio, 0) selects the audio stream with the lowest PID.
language	One or more language codes	The streams whose language matches one of the codes, for example language(eng, spa). If the PMT doesn't list a language for a stream, MediaConnect never selects that stream with a language expression.

You can combine match expressions using the logical operators && (and), || (or), and ! (not) to create advanced match expressions. For example, type(audio) && !language(eng) selects the audio streams that aren't in English. MediaConnect applies ! first, then &&, and then ||. Use parentheses to group expressions.

Note

Keep the following in mind when you write match expressions:

• Each match expression can have up to 256 characters and up to 4 levels of nesting.

• In the MediaConnect console, the Language option accepts three-letter language codes. To match a language value in a different format, choose Custom and enter the value in double quotes.

• In the MediaConnect console, to define advanced match expressions, choose Custom for Match expression.

Actions

Action	Parameter	What it does
pass	None	Keeps the stream on its input PID.
null	None	Replaces the stream's packets with null packets. The output bitrate and packet timing stay the same.
drop	None	Removes the stream's packets. The output bitrate goes down, and the packet timing changes.
mapPid	A PID	Moves the stream to that PID, for example mapPid(256).
mapPidRange	First and last PID	Moves the matching streams to the PIDs in that range, in order of stream type (video, audio, and then metadata) and then PID number. For example, mapPidRange(257, 271).
mapAuto	None	Moves the stream to the next free PID in the auto map range, in the same order across all streams that use mapAuto. The Starting PID and PIDs per program in Auto map settings set the range, which by default starts at PID 512 and has 32 PIDs.

Note

If the PID is already in use or the range is full, MediaConnect drops the stream.